You're Safe Here
by shelizabeth
Summary: my take on what might have happened before jo showed up at alex's house that night! takes place in 9x22 with flashbacks


**A/N: So I decided to write this one-shot because I'm in love with Jo and Alex in 9x22 & 9x23 because it shows how much he cares about her and how much shes trusts him to go to him at such a low point. So I've watched it endless times and seen some fans reaction and noticed Camilla has actually had to ****_defend_**** Jo for ****_being a badass chick and not taking shit from nobody._**** And I got to thinking, after basically memorizing these episodes, I don't think we saw enough of the background of Jo/Jason as much as we should have before this storyline.**

**So I decided to write my take on it! This is my one-shot based off what might have happened in the series. It was only going to be in this one chapter but I was thinking I might continue it with a story line that doesn't match the series and kinda create my own ideas with it. Let me know if you guys would be interested in me seeing how that would turn out! Otherwise I'll focus on PI.**

**Thanks so much for reading & REVIEWING ! I'll update Perfect Imperfections tomorrow :)**

"How do you think that makes me look, Jo?" Jason asked condescendingly.

"It doesn't make you look like anything? No one else knows."

"So you're a liar? You fucking lie to everyone? Then how did Alex know? What, did you confide him after being his late night booty call? God, I knew you were a slut when I met you. I thought maybe I could help. Make you less repulsive, maybe make you worth something. But I gave you so much and you're still nothing but a stupid whore. You don't deserve me. I should have known." Jason's words fell on to Jo like a sting from a bee, after it had been following you around and you knew what was going to happen but you pretended that maybe it wouldn't. Maybe it would be different this time. But this bitter sting reminded Jo, and she fell back to the place she was so many years before. A hole, so dark and unwanted, that not even Jo knew if she could find her way back up this time.

"I told Alex because he was my FRIEND! I've never slept with him and I never would. I'm with you." Jo said, her voice fading with every word.

"You know what? Don't. You're embarrassing me."

"Jason..."

"We'll talk at home."

Unsatisfied, Jo watched him walk away. More than anything, she wanted to find Alex. Ask him for help, ask for an escape. But she knew there was no escape. The worst was knowing how things have changed, but they haven't changed. She's in the same old destructive environment she worked her entire life to get out of. She walked around the hospital for hours before going to home to Jason. She tried helplessly to think of someway to get out of going back. But she knew she needed to save a little more before getting a place of her own. And escaping just for the night would make Jason even more mad.

* * *

_"I don't want you hanging out with Karev anymore." Jason says casually as they're both distracted filling out charts._

_"What?" Jo says, caught off guard._

_"I understand you're on his service occasionally. But other than that, I'm not going to allow you to be hanging out with him all the time anymore."_

_"Excuse me? What makes you think you have control over who I hang out with?" Jo tries not to let defense mechanism take over._

_"Because, I'm your boyfriend. I have to make sure you look good so you can make me look good, or else we'll both have to pay the consequences." Jason winks, as if he's sharing a special secret with her._

* * *

"Where the fuck were you?" Jason screams before Jo gets both feet in the door. Without helping, she flinches. She immediately scolds herself for showing weakness. Jason will play on that.

"Nothing. I was just walking. I was at the hospital." Jo answered, honestly.

"Yeah? I bet you were around the hospital. Looking for your fucking boyfriend. Giving him sex favors for surgeries... isn't that right? Being the little dirty prostitute you are?"

"Stop," Jo warned, though it came out more like a plead.

"It's all you know. Of course you could never be anything more. You're a homeless, trash-eating beggar. Nothing more. You could never be anything more, _princess._" Jason said, emphasizing Alex's teasing nickname for his friend.

"Jason, stop," Jo repeated these instructions coolly.

"No. You lied to me. You wasted my time. You led me on to believe you were a person that's worth more than the trash I threw away this morning. If you hadn't lied about who you are, I wouldn't have wasted my time trying to fuck your dirty, disgusting body." Jason's words were slick, like a serpent speaking. His tongue banged against his own lips as he smacked it against them. Jo had never felt so disgusted. It felt like she watched it in slow motion. "So, now, I'm thinking, you owe me."

"What are you talking about, Jason?" Jo said, confusion and concern suddenly becoming a wall, covering to protect everything underneath.

"You wasted my time. So now you have to pay me back." Jason repeated, taking off his shirt.

"No."

"Are you that dumb? They didn't have school for kids in their car?" Jason said, his laugh echoing out and filing Jo with hatred and resentment.

"I'm leaving. And I'm not coming back." Jo said, as firm as her shaky tone could muster, and began to turn around.

"You're not leaving until you pay me back, trash."

"I said no Jason. Get off." Jo's voice betraying her, showing off the fear that she was convincing herself she didn't feel. Suddenly Jo felt pressure on both sides as his hands pinched her skin as he grabbed her. She felt an instant jolt through her body as she hit the floor, realizing he pushed her. And hard, she thought, because it felt like her spine broke into pieces. When she felt the heat from Jason's body enclosing her, she rolled her eyes back and let her eyelids close and hoped she would black out. Desperately hoping her eyelids would protect her from what her mind could not.

Thoughts of her past swam through her brain like small fishes, desperate to find shelter from a predator. Her mind was racing, each idea a small fish she was trying to get ahold of. She thought of the last time someone grabbed her like this, how she promised herself she would never let it happen again. And she thought of her career now, how far she had it made it. She thought of the first time she told someone about her past, and how he used it to understand her, to help her, not to demean her.

When she snapped back into reality, she realized it must have barely been a minute. Jason was still stumbling with his pants zipper, his shirt already off, and this helped Jo's confidence a little in what she was about to do. With her right knee, she jammed it as hard as she could into Jason's pelvic bone. He fell over, giving Jo the room to get up.

"What the fuck Jo." His words were surprised. She didn't respond, instead tried to run past him to get out. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" He said, grabbing her arm. She pushed him hard, making him stumble back. She didn't expect Jason's reaction.

The idea of surprise is what runs the human mind. Humans can really understand and adapt to anything. A long term illness, a much awaited pregnancy, a party to celebrate one's success. With adequate time to adapt and understand the situation, humans can apply logic and reason to almost anything, almost always making a sound decision. It's the element of surprise, attacking us in our smallest moments, that really create the profile of our personality. See in our surprise, we have no time to think. To apply logic and reason to create the most reasonable decision. In these moments, we behave on our natural instincts. We do what we must do, in order to survive the night.

Jason's hand curls tightly as his arm coils back, and his fist meets Jo's right eye with such force, she stumbles backwards and the back of her head slams into the door. Suddenly Jo is back, years ago, just trying to survive in her own home. She fights him off, knowing he'll come looking to kill her after. Her mind is enveloping with the idea of surviving. Survive this, Jo. Just make it till tomorrow and you can deal with it then. Jason hit her again, this time targeting straight on the mouth. He missed a little, landing on the right edge of her mouth. Jo, with all her strength, pushed Jason as far and as hard as she could. She heard his head hit the fireplace. She froze for only a minute, before hearing Jason screaming at her that's she's psycho.

* * *

_"Ugh, what a long day." Jason said, climbing into bed. Jo's mind was deep in her Jodi Picoult novel, barely able to hear. "Are you listening to me?"_

_"What? Oh, yeah." Jo said, still distracted._

_"Don't fucking ignore me. Do you think it's okay to treat me like a piece of shit? Am I anything to you?"_

_"What? Jason, I was just reading. I wasn't purposefully ignoring you." Jo says, not hiding her shock at his reaction._

_"You have no fucking manners. It's disgusting if this is how your parents raised you." Jo flinched at Jason's remark, knowing his lack of knowledge in where she came from. "I'm horny." He says suddenly._

_"I'm really tired, Jason." Jo says, wanting almost nothing in the world less than she wanted to have sex with him right now._

_"I came home trying to talk to you and I expected you to treat me with respect. I think I at least deserve that."_

_"What? Yes... yes of course you do." Jo said, unknowing if she was more surprised or scared of how Jason was acting._

_"Well you clearly don't think so."_

_"I do, I swear. I'm sorry, I should have listened if you were upset. If you still wanna-"_

_"Good girl." Jason smirked, taking his shirt off._

* * *

She didn't plan where she was going, but somehow she knew she would end up at Alex's. As she approached it, she suddenly felt a sinking ship in her stomach. She wished she could go home. She wanted Alex right now, more than anything really, but she didn't expect him to want to help. No one ever did.

"You're killing me. I'm trying to stay out of your life. I'm trying to leave you alone. But you're everywhere. Well guess what-"

"Can I stay here? Please?" Jo's voice sounded more like a whimper.

"What happened?" Alex's voice was demanding, but full of genuine care.

"We were fighting. He kept saying he couldn't trust me. That I was a liar, that I lied about who I was."

"He hit you?"

"It just got so bad," Jo's voice broke between sobs.

"He hit you?!" Alex's voice getting stronger.

"I don't know what's gonna happen now."

"Nothing is going to happen. You're safe here. You're safe now. Just try and get some sleep." Jo nodded as Alex tried to make her comfortable then grabbed his keys. "I'll have my cell if you need me." Jo yelled to stop him, but he was already almost through the door.

Jo didn't expect to sleep much that night. Yet in Alex's bed, his words echoed in her mind.

You're safe here.

She drifted off to sleep, quicker than she has in months.


End file.
